A professional photograph can become a lifelong family keepsake.
Posing a kid for a picture can be a true test of will. You can make this process easier on you, and less painful for the child, by employing a few careful techniques to draw out your subject's natural charm. A perfect picture should be a relaxed, natural image that shows the child's personality.
Hand Over Some Control
Children can be very obstinate when they want to avoid having a picture taken, but you can turn the experience into a cooperative effort. Make a deal with the child, explaining that you will let her design one pose if she lets you design the next. Children are often more responsive when they feel like they have some control in the experience. Additionally, she may surprise you by slipping into a pose that is ideal for her personality, creating that perfect picture for which you are looking.
Natural Poses
A child does not always need to sit in the perfect pose to give you the perfect shot. Look for opportunities to catch a child in a relaxed, natural pose. Keep your camera ready while you talk to the child's parents, and watch the child carefully as he inspects the set you prepared for him. You can also give the child a prop, something to play with or look at while he waits for you to prepare, such as a plastic flower, a toy or a piece from your set. Watch the child play with the prop, because a child is often more relaxed and natural when he is playing.
Surprise is Priceless
Surprising a child creates natural photographic moments. For a young child, use sounds, like a loud toy or a horn to grab the child's attention and turn her towards the camera. Snap the shot as she turns her face toward you, making sure to capture the look on her face before she realizes what happened. For older children, use a little light humor at the last moment to relax them and bring a natural look to their faces.
Ready to Move
A camera is often much easier to move than an unwilling kid. Move throughout the room, finding just the right position to snap your shot. If a child is distracted by something in the room, this allows you to capture his distracted manner as a relaxed, natural photograph. If you are working with a back screen, you mobility is limited by your display, but you can still move higher, lower or a few feet in either direction to capture a child who seems unwilling to work with you.
Tags: relaxed natural, often more, perfect picture, play with, when they
